The celebration continued for the World Series champion Giants on Thursday as pitchers Barry Zito and Sergio Romo were guests on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Romo sat in the chair next to the host, while Zito took a spot on the couch beside fellow guest, actress Jamie Lee Curtis.

Asked by Leno how it felt to be the underdog during the postseason, Romo said: "You hear what they got to say, and you respect their opinion, but the perception we have of ourselves as a group, as the San Francisco Giants, I mean, we didn't see ourselves as anything less than a playoff team and a World Series-caliber team.

"So everything about the ride, people can say what they want. We go out and play the game. I'm very proud of my guys really."

Zito talked about his father, a musician with no sports background who taught his young son how to be a pitcher.

"He was two or three pages ahead of Tom Seaver's 'Art of Pitching' book," Zito said. "And he would read it at night, then in the morning we'd go over it, and I'd be like, 'Gosh, he knows this book like the back of his hand.'

"Well he'd only read it the night before, and he knew everything."

The Giants are parting ways with Aubrey Huff, declining to exercise his $10 million club option after two disappointing seasons.

Huff will receive a $2 million buyout as part of the $22 million, two-year contract he signed in November 2010.

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"I thank him for his major contribution in helping us win the World Series in 2010 and being there to help in whatever role we had him in this year," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Huff batted .192 with a home run and seven RBIs in 52 games during an injury-plagued season featuring three stints on the disabled list. In late April, he was placed on the disabled list so he could undergo treatment for an anxiety disorder.

In 2010, Huff hit .290 with a team-leading 26 home runs and 86 RBIs while playing in 157 games.

Ex-pitcher killed: Former major league pitcher Pascual Perez, who had a troubled career that included two suspensions for drug use, was killed at his home in the Dominican Republic in an apparent robbery, police said Thursday.

The cause of death has not been determined, but officials said Perez had a fractured skull from blows to the head.

Perez, 55, played 11 seasons in the majors and compiled a record of 67-68.

Schilling sued: Rhode Island's economic development agency sued former major league pitcher Curt Schilling and some of his company's former officials, saying they committed fraud and other acts that misled the state into approving a $75 million loan guarantee to his failed video game company.

The company, 38 Studios, filed for bankruptcy following a spectacular collapse that probably has left the state on the hook for as much as $100 million.

The lawsuit claims that executives at 38 Studios knew the company would run out of money by 2012 but concealed that from the EDC board.

Marlins: Former catcher Mike Redmond has been hired as manager to replace Ozzie Guillen, who was fired last week.

Redmond, who will get a three-year deal, spent the past two years managing Class A teams in the Toronto Blue Jays' system.

Braves: Atlanta reacquired outfielder Jordan Schafer by claiming him off waivers from the Houston Astros.

Phillies: Philadelphia picked up the $5 million 2013 option on catcher Carlos Ruiz and declined options on utility man Ty Wigginton and reliever Jose Contreras. The Phillies also gave third baseman Placido Polanco a $1 million buyout.

Diamondbacks: Arizona has declined a $1.25 million option on catcher Henry Blanco and a $4 million option on right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom.